The Next Level
5
By MEAUXT
The evolution of Fernando Ortega's music is evident if you take the time to listen to his work. I'm not talking about his musical skills, as his piano work has always been tremendous, but rather the usage of other instruments to support his work. The early albums were almost all piano, strings and drums were added soon thereafter, additional percussion work, dobro, more intense acoustic guitar work on the "Storm" album, and now we find the next level on the self-titled album where a more alternative country feel is presented through the chosen instrumentation (most evident on "Dragonfly" and "When the Coyote Comes"). What hasn't changed is the prevalence of the piano, the wonderful original lyrics by Fernando and co-writers, and that sedate but beautiful voice. If you listen to CCM radio, you will be familiar with "Take Heart, My Friend" and "Sleepless Night", but this album is about so much more than the obligatory radio-friendly tunes. This album also continues a common theme throughout Fernando's discography; nature. Fernando is obviously hyper-aware of the natural surroundings as much of his songwriting deals with seeing God in nature, but not nature as a god. In addition, "Mildred Madalyn Johnson" and "California Town" take ordinary people and places and weave (something that is dear to the Ortega family :-) a story of the importance of relationships in life. If you buy this album, you will find yourself listening to it time and again and each time finding a lyric that jumps out at you and an appreciation a bit of the music that you hadn't heard even though you may have "heard" it a dozen times.